Camerlengo

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Coat of arms of the Cardinal Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (the escutcheon and motto are proper to the incumbent)
Coat of arms of the Cardinal Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (the escutcheon and motto are proper to the incumbent)

The title Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (plu camerlenghi, Italian for "Chamberlain") refers to an official of the Papal court---either the Chamberlain of the Roman Church, the Chamberlain of the Sacred College of Cardinals, or any of various lesser dignitaries.

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The Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church is the administrator of the property and revenues of the Holy See; his responsibilities formerly included the fiscal administration of the Patrimony of St. Peter. As regulated in the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus [1], Camerlengo is always a Cardinal. His heraldic arms are ornamented with two gold and silver keys in saltire surmounted by an ombrellino, a canopy or umbrella of alternating red and yellow stripes, which are also the arms of a Sede Vacante (i.e., a Papal interregnum).

Until the 11th century, the Archdeacon of the Roman Church was responsible for the administration of the property of the Church (i.e., the Diocese of Rome), but its numerous ancient privileges and rights had come to make it a frequent hindrance to independent action on the part of the Pope; as a result, when the last Archdeacon, Cardinal Hildebrand (St. Gregorius PP. VII), was elected to the Pontificate in 1073, he suppressed the Archdiaconate and the cardinal entrusted with the supervision of the Apostolic Camera (Camera Apostolica), i.e., the temporalities of the Holy See, became known as the Camerarius, or Chamberlain.

Chief among the present responsibilities of the Camerlengo is the formal determination of the death of the reigning Pope; the traditional procedure for this was to strike gently the Pope's head three times with a silver hammer and to call his baptismal name ("Albine, dormisne?", i.e. "Albino, do you sleep?", John Paul I). After the Pope is declared dead, the Camerlengo removes the Ring of the Fisherman from his finger and cuts it with shears in the presence of the Cardinals, and also destroys the face of the Pope's seal with the silver hammer. These acts symbolize the end of the late Pope's authority. The Camerlengo then notifies the appropriate officers of the Roman Curia and the Dean of the College of Cardinals. He is then involved with the preparations concerning the conclave and the Pope's funeral.

Until a successor Pope can be elected, the Camerlengo serves as acting head of State of the Vatican City. He is not, however, currently responsible for the government of the Roman Catholic Church during a sede vacante. Universi Dominici Gregis placed that task in the hands of the College of Cardinals — although this power of government is extremely limited, being merely enough to allow Church institutions to continue to operate and perform some basic functions without making any definitive decisions or appointments that are normally reserved to other powers delegated by the pope. The Camerlengo, though, does keep his office during the sede vacante, as opposed to the rest of the Roman Curia.

Two Camerlengos have been elected Pope: Gioacchino Pecci who was elected as Pope Leo XIII in 1878 and Eugenio Pacelli who was elected as Pope Pius XII in 1939.

The current Camerlengo is His Eminence Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, S.D.B., appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

Also known as the Cardinal Camerlengo since he is the Camerlengo of the Cardinals, the Chamberlain of the Sacred College of Cardinals is the secretary-treasurer of that body. He administers all fees and revenues belonging to the College, celebrates the requiem Mass for a deceased cardinal, and is charged with the registry of the Acta Consistoralia. Pope Eugenius III created the post of Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals in 1150, at the same time decreeing that the Bishop of Ostia would be the Dean of the College.

Some other positions in the Papal court were formerly termed "Papal chamberlains". Although usually given as an honorary award, the position involved some duties. Laymen receiving this honor are today called Papal Gentlemen, while clergymen are typically appointed "Chaplain of His Holiness", a form of Monsignor.

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